The Deal (English)

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty One.

*Olivia Harper*

When I woke up, Harry was still next to me. He was asleep, his arms wrapped tightly around me, our legs tangled together. I was warm and comfortable in his arms and under the blanket, and I didn’t want to move. I turned my head slightly to see the time. It was around four in the evening. I sighed. It was an odd time to sleep, and I knew I’d have trouble falling asleep again later.

I turned my face back to Harry, glad that he was here. I smiled despite myself as I took in his sleeping form. He looked more carefree and younger somehow, and I didn’t even know that was possible. His mouth was slightly open, his sparkling green orbs hidden under his lids. I brushed his curls away from his forehead, my hand lingering to stroke his skin.

Slowly, my hand slid down his jaw, my thumb stroking his smooth skin there. I slid my hand to his chest, placing my palm flat against it. I let it trail across each inch of his smooth skin, feeling the texture under the tips of my fingers. I traced his nipples, all four of them, and chuckled quietly to myself. He was such a freak. Who had four nipples anyway?

My hand skimmed lower, coming in contact with the slight dust of hair below his navel. I felt his well-defined v-lines under my fingers, stroking the area gently. I reached up and buried my face in his neck, breathing deeply. He smelt absolutely amazing; something spicy and strong that couldn’t quite figure out, and like…Harry. His own natural smell was delicious enough to make my head spin. His curls were soft and they tickled my forehead. My hand slid up his torso, and then further up to coil in his hair. I could run my hands through them forever. I puckered my lips slightly and let them brush across the smooth skin of his neck, letting them trace the well-defined vein that popped out of his skin. He was warm, so warm, and I snuggled into him even further, letting my skin press against his. The feeling to lie here with him forever was so strong that it made me dizzy and breathless but most of all, it made me want him more.

Harry was unlike any guy I’d ever met. Maybe initially he only saw me as someone he could run to when he was horny, but I knew that had changed now, like it had for me. He’d made it very clear that it had. We were friends now, just like he’d predicted. But the term ‘friends’ wasn’t nearly enough to describe just how much deeper our bond ran. He understood me, he put up with me, and he didn’t even have to. We’d started off as ‘friends with benefits’, but now Harry meant the world to me. He stayed when no one else had. I was a mess and he was constantly putting me back together every time I broke.

I needed him; way more than I should have. He kept me sane and to be honest, he kept me happy. But how long would he stay for? Not long, I was sure. If everyone was tired, if everyone had given up, it was only a matter of time before Harry would leave too. Sooner or later, he’d get tired of having to put me back together again and again, and he’d leave. And I’d let him, because what would I ever be able to do to stop him? Driving people away was something I was becoming increasingly good at, and with Harry, I’d already done it twice. He came back once, he came back twice, but was there to be a third time, would he come back again?

I moved my head back and looked at him, and my heart squeezed in my chest. The thought of him leaving me made me sadder than I already was. I moved further away, letting my hand slip away from his hair. Right away, his arms tightened around me, holding me in a vice grip. I struggled against him, and his arms tightened further. I pulled myself away and almost fell out bed, waking Harry up.

“Wha—” he mumbled suddenly, looking around. “Harper? God, did I fall asleep?”

I nodded, sitting up. His arms were replaced by a rush of cold air and I just wanted to lie back down and snuggle again. “We both did,” I said instead, looking around for my clothes.